Notes from a beginning gardener with sprinkles of poetry and philosophic musings

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Vole Patrol!

Warning to Readers: This post contains content that may not be suitable for the squeamish. At the very least, put down that sandwich!

While I was away last week visiting Coconut and Daughter , Sophie was left in the capable hands of Hubby, aka Mr. Procrastinator. However, I was concerned about Sophie--Mr. P and I have different views on child-dog-rearing. While I keep a close eye on her or walk her on a leash, Mr. P prefers to "let her run." "She needs the exercise," he scolds me, "and she'll come back when she's ready." That may be true, but like a child who knows which parent is the pushover, Sophie comes when Mr. P calls, but likes to tease me and often pretends to be deaf when I call her.

Nevertheless, I came home to find her safe and sound and so happy to see me. She's even been better behaved since I came home. She loves to join me in the garden, sometimes just content to supervise, but other times "helping" me dig a hole for a plant, raking up mulch, or mixing up the compost pile all by herself:) But if the chores become too tedious, she starts to wander off. Yesterday, I realized she was no longer beside me. I scanned the fields for her wagging tail and eventually saw her in the back yard of a house in the neighboring subdivision. Uh-oh. I grabbed her leash and set out across the muddy field, crunching through the cornstubble.

By now she had had her fun and was on her way back home, but I could see she had found something along the way. Oh no, had she finally caught a bird? As she came up to me, I was thankful it wasn't a bird, but rather a vole. Or at least I think it was a vole--it might have been a field mouse instead, but by this time it was a slobbery, disgusting, and unrecognizable mess. "Good girl!" I said. "You can catch all the voles and mice you want." Sophie was so pleased she wasn't getting scolded that she lay down to enjoy her prize. (Notice those dirty paws!)

"Yuck! Sophie don't eat it . . ."

"I like the way the little bonesies go crunch."

"Do you think there are any more of them over there?"

"It's okay, Mom; I promise not to give you a kiss until you've brushed my teeth."

Well, I guess it beats setting out chewed up bubblegum or peanut butter on mousetraps!

Good girl Sophie. It does gross me out to watch them eat such things. Luna thinks that the rabbits nest full of babies are her snack dish served up by the long eared creatures. Yuck. There they go acting like dogs.

Rose, so funny! Please tell Sophie I love her for a job well done. She would have a hay day here - everywhere I turn is a hole/tunnel beneath the earth's surface. I gave up using/buying all the "gimmicks" to rid them of my flower beds - nothing worked. I long for the day the neighbor's cat would visit and discover them, but then play with them (too well fed).

Can I borrow Sophie please? Rose, I love your photos and they aren't half as graphic as some I took last year after my dog, Jack, caught one of the wretched beasts. I even captured his long front tooths - my niece in Arizona was horrified and she probably hasn't looked at my blog since! I like the idea of sharing my garden with wildlife, but there is a limit to my patience with the vole population.

Ohmygoodness, Rose! There was a vole in my front gardens just two weeks ago. I was standing Right There with a neighbor-friend, and this little mole came running out and struggled to get in a hole. If I'd had anything in my hand, I could have given it a thump! I think I need your Sophie to visit!! :-)

Such a good dog indeed. I have moles...Maybe Sophie could help me out!I am looking forward to seeing my daughter in Portland. I have been to all the different public gardens and I think this time we are planning a short hop out to the coast to Haystack Rock to see Puffins...I hope to see Puffins.Sherry

I'm amazed by the disgusting things that dogs will eat. I won't go into any more detail than that:) Sophie thanks everyone for their comments and is glad to know that voles are okay to hunt. She says "hi" to Tucker, Luna, Tommy, Jack, and all her other new cyber friends. She would love to play with you!

rose,we have some vole hunting dogs too.they love to eat, roll, carry around those varmits. i also recently found a chipmunck(one leg missing and gross creatures growing in the missing part. so yucky. happy may days in the garden.

Eeewwww! I see Sophie could teach George a thing or two Rose! He chases rodents, but has never caught one. I'm not sure he's really trying to though, and I do appreciate him patroling the garden and flushing out the enemy. Unfortunately, they are free to come back another day using his patrol method.

Oh, Rose, you and Sophie really know how to tell a story. Maybe Sophie could come here and help me with the chipmunks...not eat them, just scare them away, very far away. The annuals have been in containers only a couple of days and already the Chippies have been digging away.

I'd luv to be able to set out across a muddy field, crunching through the cornstubble instead of walking directly into the neighbor's yard. Sounds heavenly where you live.

Were you thinking of B. Kliban when you wrote about the little bonesies? "Love to eat them mousies, mousies what I love to eat. Bite they little heads off, nibble on they tiny feet." Let's hear it for Sophie, the exterminator!

About Me

I am a "late bloomer" when it comes to gardening. Born and raised on a farm, I have returned to my country roots. Recently retired, I am looking forward to being able to do all the things I always wanted to do but never had enough time. That includes gardening, of course!